We’ve
all been encouraged to stay home to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But a
concerning new trend has risen amongst emergency care physicians and
cardiologists. Hospitals across the country are seeing fewer patients with
heart attack symptoms — not because fewer heart attacks are occurring, but
because when they do, people are delaying seeking care.
Fear of
contracting the virus in the hospital and concern that hospitals are
overwhelmed has led some people to avoid or delay care. Too often this has
caused devastating results, including long-term health damage or even death.
Emergency
room visits to over 1,100 U.S. hospitals are running 40% lower than normal,
according to a study by Crowe LLP. And while you may think you are doing the
right thing by staying home and not seeking care, you are actually putting your
own life in jeopardy. The risk of delaying care is much higher than your risk
of possible exposure to COVD-19.
Approximately
every 40 seconds, someone in the US will have a heart attack. More than 350,000
out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. annually. It’s important to
keep in mind that these statistics don’t take a pause during a pandemic.
“We
are seeing patients delaying treatment for heart attacks either because they
are afraid to come to the hospital or they are concerned they’re taking a
hospital bed from someone more in need,” said Michael Mack, MD, chief of the
cardiovascular governance council for Baylor Scott & White Health. “Thus,
we are seeing more complications of heart attacks that are largely avoidable
when treatment is prompt.”
Know the symptoms of a heart attack
In
order to spot a heart attack early, make sure you and your loved ones are aware
of common symptoms.
Common
heart attack symptoms include:
·
Pressure, a feeling of fullness or squeezing pain in the center
of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes
·
Pain extending beyond your chest to your shoulder, arm, back or
even to your teeth and jaw
·
Increasing episodes of chest pain
·
Prolonged pain in the upper abdomen
·
Shortness of breath
·
Sweating
·
Impending sense of doom
·
Fainting
·
Nausea and vomiting
Women
are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms without chest pain, such
as:
·
Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
·
Shortness of breath
·
Nausea or vomiting
·
Abdominal pain or “heartburn”
·
Sweating or clammy skin
·
Lightheadedness or dizziness
·
Unusual or unexplained fatigue
Anxiety, chest pain and irregular heartbeat
During
this pandemic, it is not unusual to feel anxious, which may also result in
chest pain or strange feelings of your heart seeming to “skip a beat.”
Sometimes, anxiety appears suddenly as a “panic attack.” During a panic attack,
you may feel fearful, experience shortness of breath or have irregular heartbeats, chest pain or feel
sweaty.
While
the symptoms of anxiety and some heart conditions can be confusingly
similar, don’t let that keep you from voicing your concerns. Discuss any new or
concerning symptoms with your physician.
Seek care early for better outcomes
A heart
attack usually occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a
coronary artery — a vessel that feeds blood to your heart. Interrupted blood
flow can damage or destroy a part of the heart muscle.
It is
critical to seek care at the earliest possible sign, as the heart muscle starts
to die within 80-90 minutes after it stops getting blood and within six hours,
almost all the affected parts of the heart could be irreversibly damaged.
You
should also seek care if you are experiencing an arrhythmia, or irregular
heartbeat. This can be a sign that the heart is contracting but not effectively
pumping blood to the body.
If you
have already been diagnosed with heart disease, it is especially important that
you seek treatment early. Be especially careful to watch for any new symptoms
that arise and do not delay. If you are experiencing worsening symptoms or new
symptoms, contact your doctor. Your condition may be able to be accurately
assessed via a virtual visit.
If you
or a loved one experiences symptoms of a heart attack, rest assured that our
care teams are prepped and ready to provide lifesaving care. At all facilities,
enhanced safety measures and touch-free protocols are in place to help
safeguard your health and well-being. It’s also important to keep in mind that
currently, around 90% of our hospital inpatients are being treated for
conditions unrelated to COVID-19. We’ve detailed our full COVID-19 Safe Care
plan at BSWHealth.com/SafeCare.
In the
event of a cardiac emergency, don’t delay. Calling 911 immediately is your best
chance of surviving or saving a life.
Learn
more about our heart and vascular services.
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